The alpacas have a routine to their days that seldom varies. Every morning during the cold weather, they begin with a bucket of warm water, followed by their allotment of grain which is carefully measured out in yogurt cups. A breeding female receives a little more than one cupful in the morning as a way of supplementing the nutrients that are not available in the hay. We separate our girls so that we can monitor the amount of grain each animal eats.
Shortly thereafter, John arrives at the barn to deliver the hay. The animals leave the barn at this time while he helps with the daily cleaning. But, they are quick to return when he starts to give them chaff. They have learned to watch him and jostle to be in the right spot as he nears the gate.
After a lunch and errand run, we return to the barn for the afternoon portion of the day. When the "girls" hear the tractor's engine, they know that it won't be long before they are allowed to cross the gate into Kaboom's area to go roll in the b's (a fine stone dust) in his shed. John helps form a human gate to prevent the females and their crias from encroaching upon Kaboom, who is eating from his hay basket. There have been days when the little ones: Kimi and Sooleana, get frisky and try to stay and play instead of following their mothers out of the upper gate. This often energizes the entire group and they run around jumping and kicking in glee.
We can count on the females to use the poop pile around 2:45. This is helpful for fecal collections. They line up and take turns: mothers and crias ahead of our lone maiden female, Princess Nomian. John holds the bags to label and store for delivery to our vet. A good deworming program is important for healthy animals.
This time of year, our second grain feeding comes before dark. We often serve another pail of warm water too. As we head to the house, it's not surprising to see the alpacas "pronking" in preparation for the cold night. Pronking is a sort of pogo-stick- like jump that they do in order to warm their bodies.
Often in the light of the full moon, we can see the mothers and their crias lying outside...each facing a different direction while they chew their cuds: a peaceful ending to a very satisfying, routine day.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Adjusting to Change
Having a routine is important in an autistic person's life, but life is about change. We find that with the routine chores John does every day, he is always learning to cope with changes.
Today while cleaning the outside pen, Kimi came up and allowed him to pet her....a first for them both.
After their afternoon roll in the fine sandstone, the females started jumping and running. All five ran down beside the gate where John stood alone. He turned his back to them, held tightly with a grimace on his face, anticipating some contact. They jostled each other and raced by.
When the temperatures are low, we spend less time in the barn in the morning. Some days we work until lunch. On Sundays, chores are finished after church. When the snow is deep, we are apt to spend all afternoon snowblowing the pen. Other afternoons are spent sorting the fiber. All within a general schedule, but never an exact duplicate of the previous day.
John has become less anxious about these changes. As we transition, he often remarks, "Alpacas want to come too." Knowing that we'll be back later makes it so much easier.
Today while cleaning the outside pen, Kimi came up and allowed him to pet her....a first for them both.
After their afternoon roll in the fine sandstone, the females started jumping and running. All five ran down beside the gate where John stood alone. He turned his back to them, held tightly with a grimace on his face, anticipating some contact. They jostled each other and raced by.
When the temperatures are low, we spend less time in the barn in the morning. Some days we work until lunch. On Sundays, chores are finished after church. When the snow is deep, we are apt to spend all afternoon snowblowing the pen. Other afternoons are spent sorting the fiber. All within a general schedule, but never an exact duplicate of the previous day.
John has become less anxious about these changes. As we transition, he often remarks, "Alpacas want to come too." Knowing that we'll be back later makes it so much easier.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Language Development Via Alpacas
What is it about alpacas that elicits such a barrage of sentences from John? These gentle creatures are constantly interacting and socializing in
their herd. They create concrete visual pictures.
He is quick to recognize that Princess Nomian has been moved back from the wagon due to just a head gesture from her mother. She
stands frozen with her ears pulled back waiting for a chance to move to a differnt spot at the hay. Immediately John calls out "Alpaca sad!"
As they run and jump around the pen at the end of the day (this is called "pronking"- an activity thought to warm their bodies in order to withstand the cold temperatures of the night)-he cautions them to
"Watch out for Johnny!" "Don't push me!"
A cria begging her mother for milk, Kaboom spitting Irish Rose away
from his wheel barrow of hay, or worst of all (from John's point of view)
a cria using the barn floor for a poop pile, are invaluable motivations to use language.
This spontanity and excitement that he exhibits is not easy to duplicate
elsewhere. The alpacas allow us to expand and increase this important
aspect of his development without tedious repetitions and meaningless
exercises.
their herd. They create concrete visual pictures.
He is quick to recognize that Princess Nomian has been moved back from the wagon due to just a head gesture from her mother. She
stands frozen with her ears pulled back waiting for a chance to move to a differnt spot at the hay. Immediately John calls out "Alpaca sad!"
As they run and jump around the pen at the end of the day (this is called "pronking"- an activity thought to warm their bodies in order to withstand the cold temperatures of the night)-he cautions them to
"Watch out for Johnny!" "Don't push me!"
A cria begging her mother for milk, Kaboom spitting Irish Rose away
from his wheel barrow of hay, or worst of all (from John's point of view)
a cria using the barn floor for a poop pile, are invaluable motivations to use language.
This spontanity and excitement that he exhibits is not easy to duplicate
elsewhere. The alpacas allow us to expand and increase this important
aspect of his development without tedious repetitions and meaningless
exercises.
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